A Chicago-based artist who has admittedly endured a “lifelong obsession” with the color blue, will open a new exhibition of her abstract works of art in the Benton Harbor Arts District’s ARS Gallery beginning in mid-February, for everyone to discover and enjoy.
Ara Lucia, who is also inspired by high fashion, explores feminism, class, and identity through her high-energy, mutli-layered acrylic paintings. You can see a small sample of her heavy technique in the photo above.
On Friday, February 17, from 6 to 8pm, ARS Gallery at 147 Fifth Street in Benton Harbor will host a reception for the new exhibition of abstract works by Lucia. Small bites, wine, and refreshments will be served, and St. Joseph-based singer-songwriter Jimmy Fastiggi will perform.
Lucia tells us that, “The initial impetus for each of my paintings is a dress from a particular designer in a particular historical time.” She points out, “As I was growing up, I caught glimpses of high fashion in magazines, but clothes for personal expression were inaccessible to me.”
Ara Lucia’s previous art explorations have included dance, theatre, and directing. As a photographer, she earned national recognition for her large-scale works, “Tala & Louison” and “We Vow,” in which special dresses she created inspired characters for a photo-fable. Ara Lucia credits these experiences with influencing her creative process.
The Windy City artist says, “As a reflection of my combined studies, my process is both performative and reflective, as I move back and forth between mark-making and editing in order to reach a final composition.” She adds, “Many layers are applied over a highly-textured surface. The chosen marks remain, and edited marks are folded, hidden, into the layers.”
Ara Lucia’s exhibition will be on display at ARS Gallery through April 27. For more information, call ARS Gallery at 269-277-5090, or visit www.annarussoart.com.
The ARS Gallery/Arts and Culture Center is located in the Benton Harbor Arts District, and provides a community art center offering visual arts, arts education, cultural language classes, and outreach to the local youth. ARS is the home of the “I Am The Greatest” project and has offered arts programming to hundreds of local youth.
